Versioning Extensions to WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning)
RFC 3253

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Network Working Group                                           G. Clemm
Request for Comments: 3253                             Rational Software
Category: Standards Track                                      J. Amsden
                                                              T. Ellison
                                                                     IBM
                                                                C. Kaler
                                                               Microsoft
                                                            J. Whitehead
                                                         U.C. Santa Cruz
                                                              March 2002

                    Versioning Extensions to WebDAV
               (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning)

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document specifies a set of methods, headers, and resource types
   that define the WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning)
   versioning extensions to the HTTP/1.1 protocol.  WebDAV versioning
   will minimize the complexity of clients that are capable of
   interoperating with a variety of versioning repository managers, to
   facilitate widespread deployment of applications capable of utilizing
   the WebDAV Versioning services.  WebDAV versioning includes automatic
   versioning for versioning-unaware clients, version history
   management, workspace management, baseline management, activity
   management, and URL namespace versioning.

Table of Contents

   1 Introduction....................................................  6
   1.1 Relationship to WebDAV........................................  7
   1.2 Notational Conventions........................................  8
   1.3 Terms.........................................................  8
   1.4 Property Values............................................... 11
    1.4.1 Initial Property Value..................................... 11

Clemm, et al.               Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 3253            Versioning Extensions to WebDAV           March 2002

    1.4.2 Protected Property Value................................... 12
    1.4.3 Computed Property Value.................................... 12
    1.4.4 Boolean Property Value..................................... 12
    1.4.5 DAV:href Property Value.................................... 12
   1.5 DAV Namespace XML Elements.................................... 12
   1.6 Method Preconditions and Postconditions....................... 12
    1.6.1 Example - CHECKOUT request................................. 13
   1.7 Clarification of COPY Semantics with Overwrite:T.............. 13
   1.8 Versioning Methods and Write Locks............................ 14
   2 Basic Versioning Features....................................... 14
   2.1 Basic Versioning Packages..................................... 14
   2.2 Basic Versioning Semantics.................................... 16
    2.2.1 Creating a Version-Controlled Resource..................... 16
    2.2.2 Modifying a Version-Controlled Resource.................... 17
    2.2.3 Reporting.................................................. 19
   3 Version-Control Feature......................................... 20
   3.1 Additional Resource Properties................................ 20
    3.1.1 DAV:comment................................................ 20
    3.1.2 DAV:creator-displayname.................................... 20
    3.1.3 DAV:supported-method-set (protected)....................... 20
    3.1.4 DAV:supported-live-property-set (protected)................ 21
    3.1.5 DAV:supported-report-set (protected)....................... 21
   3.2 Version-Controlled Resource Properties........................ 21
    3.2.1 DAV:checked-in (protected)................................. 21
    3.2.2 DAV:auto-version........................................... 22
   3.3 Checked-Out Resource Properties............................... 22
    3.3.1 DAV:checked-out (protected)................................ 23
    3.3.2 DAV:predecessor-set........................................ 23
   3.4 Version Properties............................................ 23
    3.4.1 DAV:predecessor-set (protected)............................ 23
    3.4.2 DAV:successor-set (computed)............................... 23
    3.4.3 DAV:checkout-set (computed)................................ 23
    3.4.4 DAV:version-name (protected)............................... 24